Ido Arad
Conductor
German-based Israeli conductor Ido Arad is distinguished by his clarity of interpretation, technical precision and the impelling energy of his music.
Highlights of the current season include engagements at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, and his debut with the Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
In recent seasons, Arad made his debut at the Vienna Volksoper (Wiener Staatsballett), and returned in early 2024 to the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, this time for a revival production of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE. He was also invited for repeat enagements in Parlermo (Prokofiev’s ROMÉO E JULIETTE; THE NUTCRACKER) and to conduct symphony concerts with the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and Klagenfurt’s Kärtner Sinfonieorchester.
“The Staatskapelle Berlin, keenly
directed throughout by Ido Arad, did not put a foot wrong, evoking, somewhat to
my surprise, a sound not so distant from that of Neville Marriner’s vintage
Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Bright, precise, and likewise with pinpoint
timing..”
Seen and Heard International
(BARBER OF SEVILLE, Staatsoper Berlin, Feb 2024)
At home in Berlin, he conducted a new production of SLEEPING BEAUTY
(Staatsballett / Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper), a production of Stravinsky’s
THE RITE OF SPRING and PETRUSHKA (choreogr.Pina Bausch and Marco Goecke / Staatskapelle
Berlin), performances
of GISELLE, SLEEPING BEAUTY, ONEGIN and THE NUTCRACKER and Prokofiev’s ROMÉO ET
JULIETTE with the Staatsballett Berlin and opera productions such as LA
TRAVIATA / THE MAGIC FLUTE at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Further engagements included Mozart’s LE NOZZE DI FIGARO at the Semperoper Dresden, and a new production of Weber’s OBERON at the Salzburger Landestheater. He returned to Salzburg for a symphonic concert with the Mozarteumorchester as well as to Israel, and conducted concerts with the Philharmonisches Orchester Cottbus and Südwestfalen Philharmonic.
Ido Arad held the position of Kapellmeister and Assistant to the General Music Director (Sir Donald Runnicles) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 2016 to 2018, where he conducted productions of Bizet’s CARMEN, Mozart’s DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, Rossini’s IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Verdi’s UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, DON CARLO and LA TRAVIATA, as well as Meyerbeer’s LES HUGUENOTS. His debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin dates back to 2015, when he stepped in at short notice for Tchaikovsky’s EUGENE ONEGIN.
Prior to that, Ido Arad held permanent positions at the Mittelsächsische Theater Freiberg and Stadttheater Bremerhaven, where he was the First Kapellmeister and Deputy General Music Director. During this period he conducted productions including TANNHÄUSER, EUGENE ONEGIN, DON CARLO, LA BOHÈME, RUSALKA, L’ELISIR D’AMORE, as well as a number of symphonic programmes.
Further engagements included Mozart’s LE NOZZE DI FIGARO at the Semperoper Dresden, and a new production of Weber’s OBERON at the Salzburger Landestheater. He returned to Salzburg for a symphonic concert with the Mozarteumorchester as well as to Israel, and conducted concerts with the Philharmonisches Orchester Cottbus and Südwestfalen Philharmonic.
Ido Arad held the position of Kapellmeister and Assistant to the General Music Director (Sir Donald Runnicles) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 2016 to 2018, where he conducted productions of Bizet’s CARMEN, Mozart’s DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, Rossini’s IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Verdi’s UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, DON CARLO and LA TRAVIATA, as well as Meyerbeer’s LES HUGUENOTS. His debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin dates back to 2015, when he stepped in at short notice for Tchaikovsky’s EUGENE ONEGIN.
“Ido Arad [...] shaped Reimann's detailed score astutely and obtained the greatest transparency from the orchestra."
Opera Magazine 02/2018 (L’INVISIBLE, Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Opera Magazine 02/2018 (L’INVISIBLE, Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Prior to that, Ido Arad held permanent positions at the Mittelsächsische Theater Freiberg and Stadttheater Bremerhaven, where he was the First Kapellmeister and Deputy General Music Director. During this period he conducted productions including TANNHÄUSER, EUGENE ONEGIN, DON CARLO, LA BOHÈME, RUSALKA, L’ELISIR D’AMORE, as well as a number of symphonic programmes.
Guest engagements have also taken him to Theater Münster, Theater Freiburg, and to the Anhaltische Theater Dessau. He conducted a new production of Richard Strauss’ SALOME staged by Brigitte Fassbaender at Theater Regensburg in 2017. In his formative years, Mr Arad collaborated with Asher Fisch, whom he assisted on a production of SALOME at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich during the 2013-14 season, and later on TRISTAN UND ISOLDE in concert with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in Perth and on Richard Strauss’ CAPRICCIO at Teatro Real in Madrid.
Ido Arad was born in Florida (USA) and raised in Tel Aviv (Israel). He studied classical guitar at the Robert-Schumann-Musikhochschule Düsseldorf and conducting with Prof. Lutz Köhler at the Universität der Künste Berlin.
“The music performed by the orchestra of
the Deutsche Oper Berlin under the baton of Ido Arad is brilliant and full of
energy, expanding the score’s full palette of colour.”
Danses avec la plume
(ROMÉO ET JULIETTE, ballet, Deutsche Oper Berlin)
“The Staatskapelle Berlin also performed in a reduced setting and conductor Ido Arad delivered a very convincing, transparent, muscular interpretation of Adolphe Adam’s music that was a mix of fragile or sensational in all the right places.
RBB Kultur (GISELLE, Staatskapelle Berlin)
Danses avec la plume
(ROMÉO ET JULIETTE, ballet, Deutsche Oper Berlin)
“The Staatskapelle Berlin also performed in a reduced setting and conductor Ido Arad delivered a very convincing, transparent, muscular interpretation of Adolphe Adam’s music that was a mix of fragile or sensational in all the right places.
RBB Kultur (GISELLE, Staatskapelle Berlin)
︎ Simon Pauly